Category Archives: Historical

Historical Astronomers in Context

Posted on January 26, 2019 by kylebward

Galileo Galilei (Feb 15, 1564 – Jan 8, 1642) Historical Events During Galileo’s Lifetime: In 1607, Jamestown was founded, becoming the first permanent English colony established in the Americas. Jamestown was established by the Virginia Company of London and was a settlement in the Virginia Colony, which was chartered in 1606. Starting in the early … Continue reading Historical Astronomers in Context → Continue reading →

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Historical Astronomers in Context

Posted on January 26, 2019 by Campbell Flower

Johannes Kepler was born in the German town of Weil der Stadt on December 27, 1571. Kepler was one of the most significant astronomers in history. He developed the current heliocentric model of planetary motion using Tycho Brahe’s naked eye observations. Contrasting his previous beliefs, Kepler discovered that planets orbit the sun in ellipses, not … Continue reading Historical Astronomers in Context → Continue reading →

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Historical Astronomers in Context

Posted on January 25, 2019 by Jonathan Roberts

Isaac Newton (1643-1727) was a revolutionary figure in the field of astronomy, and science in general. Newton expanded upon the ideas of Galileo by identifying the force of gravity, and subsequently formulating the law of gravitation. Along with the law of gravitation, he introduced the three laws of motion. Other contributions to astronomy include observing … Continue reading Historical Astronomers in Context → Continue reading →

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Copernicus in Context

Posted on January 25, 2019 by Jiayu Kang

Nicolaus Copernicus (19 February 1473 – 24 May 1543) was one of the most important figures in astronomy history. In order to find a better model to predict planet motions, Copernicus developed the heliocentric theory based on Aristarchus’s work. He calculated both the orbital period and distance to the Sun, providing geometric relationships and therefore strengthening … Continue reading Copernicus in Context → Continue reading →

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The Cosmic Calendar: Humanities Brief Reign

Posted on January 20, 2019 by calebglotta

In the grand scheme of the Universe, mankind has been around for an almost unfathomably short amount of time. Condensing the span of the universe into one calendar year we see clearly how our mark on the universe has barely just happened. All of what what we consider “modern” history takes place on December 31st, … Continue reading The Cosmic Calendar: Humanities Brief Reign → Continue reading →

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HW Blog1 – The Universe and its expansion

Posted on January 20, 2019 by michaelfung1661

The topic associated with astronomy that intrigues me the most, at least with regards to the list provided, is definitely the vastness of the Universe. As a nerdy fan of late night, I can’t help but find Neil deGrasse Tyson’s appearances extremely entertaining. While I find that his talks often lack substance or depth, his … Continue reading HW Blog1 – The Universe and its expansion → Continue reading →

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Project Orion: Blasting Off to the Stars

Posted on May 1, 2018 by jacobfinesastroblog

In the late 1950’s and early 1960’s the US was in the midst of the cold war. At that point, the American space program had fallen far behind Soviet rocket technology. Desperate to upstage the Soviets, the US began to pour funding into seemingly crazy technological research. One of these projects being Project Orion. In … Continue reading Project Orion: Blasting Off to the Stars → Continue reading →

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Project Orion: Blasting Off to the Stars

Posted on May 1, 2018 by jacobfinesastroblog

In the late 1950’s and early 1960’s the US was in the midst of the cold war. At that point, the American space program had fallen far behind Soviet rocket technology. Desperate to upstage the Soviets, the US began to pour funding into seemingly crazy technological research. One of these projects being Project Orion. In … Continue reading Project Orion: Blasting Off to the Stars → Continue reading →

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The Drake Equation

Posted on May 1, 2018 by interplanetira

The Drake Equation is a formula that is commonly used to stimulate discussion of the possibility of extraterrestrial life-  not to necessarily quantify the number of communicating civilizations. The Drake Equation uses many variables to quantify estimates for the number of communicating civilizations, but a number of them are quite controversial as they are not […] Continue reading →

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Astronomy’s Lasting Influence on Human Thought

Posted on May 1, 2018 by aquarianastronomy

If my short study of Astronomy has taught one thing, it is how influential Astronomy has been on our way of thinking as a species. This influence can be seen in ancient times, when civilizations such as in Mesopotamia, Mesoamerica, Egypt, China, India, and Greece placed Astronomy and Astrology at the centers of their ideology, […] Continue reading →

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